What’s great about the Miss Universe pageant is that it highlights both the beauty and abilities of women. Behind the makeup and gowns, these women also did badass jobs before getting on that stage. Some of them are even hard to believe.

We’ve seen them strut in their terno dresses and swimsuits, even checked out their makeup kits. Now, we want to focus on who they are behind the scenes.

Miss Philippines – Maxine Medina

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJzDKdEh-7F/?taken-by=maxine_medina

In case you didn’t know yet, Maxine worked as a condominiums interior designer. That’s on top of her modeling stints and occasional TV commercial appearances.

Miss USA – Deshauna Barber

https://www.instagram.com/p/BI8qaWtgF30/?taken-by=deshaunabarber

Deshauna is the first Miss USA winner who is an active member of the Army Reserve. She also graduated with a Computer Information Systems degree and works as an IT Analyst for the US Department of Commerce. That’s enough reason for you to not mess with this lady.

Miss Aruba – Charlene Leslie

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKLmnF3AhFD/?taken-by=charleneleslie

As a trained dietitian, Charlene helped people reach their health goals. She also likes studying and experimenting on recipes to make them healthier.

Miss Kenya – Mary Esther Were

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLtQ-SEB1WA/?taken-by=scarletwere

Aside from being a Marketing Administrator for Forbes Africa and CNBC Africa, Mary also has an upcoming novel. We don’t know when it’ll be published but keep your eyes peeled if you’re interested.

Miss Dominican Republic – Rosalba “Sal García” Abreu

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFrVqbDtIkP/?taken-by=salgarcia1

Sal is your typical farm girl who got a modeling break at a young age. Even after winning the Miss Dominican Republic title, she still takes pride on the fact that she can herd cattle and farm pineapples.

Miss Sri Lanka – Jayathi De Silva

https://www.instagram.com/p/8XTJy9kP6l/?taken-by=missuniversesrilanka2016

Jayathi is currently working to find an effective cure for cancer. And it’s not impossible especially with her degrees in Cancer Biology and Forensic Science.

Miss Malaysia – Kiran Jassal

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBjcvRyplgk/?taken-by=kiran_jassal

Kiran is a self-proclaimed bookworm who has read 800 books (and counting). We won’t be surprised if this includes the textbooks she needs to study for her Dentistry degree.

Miss Thailand – Chalita Suansane

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM0H9zwB1Ky/?taken-by=namtanlitaa

After graduating college, Chalita opted to volunteer for an orphanage which houses children who were abused and living with HIV. This is also the reason why she’s set on spreading awareness on this disease and other problems that affect children today.

Miss Japan – Sari Nakazawa

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG9LB2EBiPk/?taken-by=sari_nakazawa

On top of being a Dentistry student, Sari is also an aspiring rhythmic gymnast. Not only that, she’s also interested in flower arranging, volleyball, and the piano. How can she find the time to do all those?

Miss Canada – Siera Bearchell

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJRiYYGjyWC/?taken-by=sierabearchell

Siera is a lot of things—runner, entrepreneur, golfer, and law student. But among those, she took her business background to help communities get back on their feet.

Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Viber